The 15 Signs of a Religious Spirit are derived from the Book of Jude and Exposing the Religious Spirit by Jack Deere. This list delineates a spectrum of expressions of the religious spirit mindset. Manifestations of the religious spirit are not limited to Christianity, but can be identified in any false religion.

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1. A religious spirit believes he has a mission to tear down error or what he believes is

wrong.

2. A religious spirit has a hard time receiving rebuke from someone less spiritual

3. A religious spirit will not listen to people, because he can hear from God.

4. A religious spirit immediately notices what is wrong with people, or the church, rather

than looking for what is right.

5. A religious spirit keeps score on his spiritual life and carries guilt when he doesn’t add

up to the Lord’s standards.

6. A religious spirit feels as though he has been appointed to fix everybody else.

7. A religious spirit may feel as though he is truly closer to God than others, and his life or

​ ministry is more pleasing to God in comparison.

8. A religious spirit takes pride in spiritual discipline or spiritual maturity and ranks himself

against others.

9. A religious spirit will do things in order to be noticed or affirmed by people.

10. A religious spirit is overly repulsed by “emotionalism.”

11. A religious spirit, though repulsed by emotionalism,” will use it or hype for the purpose

of manipulation.

12. A religious spirit tends to resist the supernatural or reject spiritual manifestations he

cannot understand.

13. A religious spirit overreacts to carnality or immaturity in the body of Christ.

14. A religious spirit will not fully commit to a church or lend a hand to help if the group is

not “perfect” in their theology.

15. A religious spirit will tend to be suspicious of or even oppose new moves of God.

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A RELIGIOUS SPIRIT (mindset) seeks to substitute religious activity for the power of the Holy Spirit and the grace of God in the believer’s life. The focus of a Religious Spirit (mindset) is the desire to have the church “maintain an outward form of Godliness" while denying the power of the Holy Spirit. The Religious Spirit operates in legalism: seeking to replace true repentance and grace with religious performance and works.

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2 Timothy 3:1-5 “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 HAVING A FORM OF GODLINESS BUT DENYING THE POWER THEREOF: from such turn away.”

ASSOCIATED STRONGHOLDS (advisable to deal with all):

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1. Spirit of Divination, the Occult & Witchcraft (Acts 16:16)

2. Spirit of Error (1 John 4:6)

3. Spirit of Pride (Proverbs 16:18)

4. Spirit of Jealousy (Proverbs 6:34)

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You will note by association with all of these strongholds and the length of the Deliverance Prayer below, this is a VERY NASTY SPIRIT!

Jesus forgive me of all sin I committed that opened the door and allowed the Stronghold of Error. [Pray “I CONFESS AND RENOUNCE” before each item in the following list] A Spirit of

Error · A defensive and argumentative spirit · All faith principles that have come in through error · Depression and suicide · All false prophecies, spoken over me by anyone, including myself · An unteachable spirit · Contentions · Dullness of comprehension · Familiar spirit of error · Having a form of godliness but denying its power · Hyper-spiritual · Hypocrisy · Mental confusion and fears · Mixing the holy with the profane · Servant of corruption · Spiritual hindrances to: Bible study, listening to services, moving in the gifts of the Spirit, and/or Prayer · Twisting the Word · Unsubmissiveness”

PRAYER CONCLUSION: Father God, I have acknowledged, confessed, repented of all the above sins I have committed. I hereby renounce them ALL, promising to break all ties with and never to participate in them again.

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By the authority I have in Jesus Christ of Nazareth, I bind you Spirit of Divination, Spirit of Error, Spirit of Jealousy, Spirit of Pride and you, Religious Spirit, and each and every helper/lesser spirit accompanying you with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua, in addition to filling all of your mouths with the Jesus’ blood. You are ALL herewith bound, unable and forbidden to cause me additional harm or to speak further LIES of the Enemy or to call in any assistance from any other spirit in the mighty name of Yeshua/Jesus of Nazareth!

I command you, Spirit of Divination, Spirit of Error, Spirit of Jealousy, Spirit of Pride and you, Religious Spirit, and each and every helper/lesser spirit accompanying you, to LEAVE NOW, GO TO WANDER IN DRY PLACES, NEVER TO RETURN, in the mighty, VICTORIOUS name of Yeshua/Jesus Christ of Nazareth!

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I hereby loose the true power of God, the Spirit of Truth, love of God, and a humble, contrite spirit according to the Word of God:

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TRUE POWER OF GOD

Elijah and the prophets of Baal: 1 Kings 18:25-39 vs. 38-39 “Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. 39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the God.”

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2 Chronicles 20:6 “And said, O Lord God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee?”

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1 Thessalonians 1:5 “For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.”

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1 Corinthians 2:5 “That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.”

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Job 26:7-14 “He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing. 8 He bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds; and the cloud is not rent under them. 9 He holdeth back the face of his throne, and spreadeth his cloud upon it. 10 He hath compassed the waters with bounds, until the day and night come to an end. 11 The pillars of heaven tremble and are astonished at his reproof. 12 He divideth the sea with his power, and by his understanding he smiteth through the proud. 13 By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens; his hand hath formed the crooked serpent. 14 Lo, these are parts of his ways: but how little a portion is heard of him? but the thunder of his power who can understand?”

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Psalm 147:4-5 “He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names. 5 Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.”

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Romans 1:20 “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse”

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1 Corinthians 4:20 “For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.”

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2 Timothy 1:7 “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

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SPIRIT OF TRUTH

1 John 3:24-4:6 “24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us. Chapt. 4 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: 3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. 4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. 5 They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. 6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.”

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John 14:17 “Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”

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John 15:26 “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:”

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John 16:13-15 “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of Truth (Holy Spirit), is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. 15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.”

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John 17:17 “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.”

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Psalm 51:10 “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”

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John 4:23-24 “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”

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LOVE OF GOD

2 Timothy 1:7 “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

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1 John 4:18 “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.”

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1 John 4:7 “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.”

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Psalm 36:7 “How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.”

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Psalm 86:5 “For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.”

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Zephaniah 3:17 “The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.”

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1 Corinthians 13 “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. 4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. 9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. 11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.”

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1 Peter 4:8 “And above all things have fervent love among yourselves: for love covers a multitude of sins.”

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HUMBLE AND CONTRITE SPIRIT

Proverbs 16:19 “Better it is to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.”

Isaiah 57:15 “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.”